The pandemic pushed Australians to their limits in 2021, but we remained staunch – as did the housing and property market. Read on for a recap of events in last year’s property market and watch the video to hear the thoughts of our CEO, Bradley Beer.
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National property market prices
The property market in Australia finished the year with strength. At the end of December 2021, Australian dwelling values were 22.1% higher than in December 2020, coming off a cyclical high of 22.2% in the twelve months to November. Australia’s inflated property market is now valued at more than $9 trillion, a record high after surging home prices through the pandemic lifted the value of residential property by $1 trillion in the past six months alone.
Rental yields
With national property values recording an annual rise of 22.1% compared with a 9.4% rise in rents, rental yields have decreased as a natural consequence. Gross rental yields fell to a new record low across Australia, reaching 3.2% in December. The lowest yields, by some margin, remain in Sydney (2.4%) and Melbourne (2.7%), however, except for Perth and Darwin, every capital city is recording record low yields.
Finance and interest rates
Following its December meeting, the RBA kept the Official Cash Rate at the record-low of 0.1 per cent.
Concerns about property affordability have risen to the highest-ever level in the latest ANZ/Property Council Survey, with respondents saying soaring prices and increasingly unequal access to home ownership make it the number one issue for governments to address.
The powerful Reserve Bank-led Council of Financial Regulators has maintained its watching brief over the hottest property market in over three decades, saying it continues to “closely monitor” the impact of the higher interest rate buffers imposed in November.
Hear more from our CEO, Bradley Beer.